Elina Svitolina (4) won in Brisbane first up and has been in sparkling form this tournament.
Elise Mertens has also been in great form in Melbourne, and of course you would expect them to be to reach this stage.
Mertens won her second successive Hobart title this year.
Svitolina served first and was in early trouble, saving a break point and holding serve.
Mertens, who had yet to drop a set in the tournament was also struggling, saving a break point in a three deuce game and it was 1-1.
Four clean winners in a love game saw Mertens break serve and she led 2-1.
3-1 with an easy hold by Mertens, and 2-3 following the best game displayed by Svitolina so far - three winners in a love game.
Mertens served a love game for 4-2, featuring two clean winners.
Then a break point was converted with a winning Belgian backhand.
Mertens lost serve when she double faulted on the first of two break chances. 3-5 with a Ukrainian serve to come.
Svitolina was taken without permission to deuce, but escaped her capture and found herself at 4-5.
Not safe enough because Mertens hit an ace and a pair of winners in a game which clinched the set 6–4.
Set two and Mertens destroyed the fourth seed, surrendering no games and winning 27 of the mere 40 points played.
Elise Mertens won 6-4 6-0 to be the first player advancing to the semi finals, where she will play the winner of Caroline Wozniacki (2) and Carla Suárez Navarro.
Mertens ranking will move from 37 to 20, a new career high, and if she happens to make the final, she could be as high as 15.
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